Reports surfaced online that performers at the Panagbenga Grand Street Dance Parade in Baguio City suffered burned feet, allegedly due to the artificial grass installed at the Melvin Jones Football Field.
Panagbenga, the annual Baguio Flower Festival, is a month-long celebration in the City of Pines, created as a tribute to the city’s flowers. “Panagbenga” is a Kankanaey term meaning “season of blooming.”
This year, the Grand Street Dance Parade was held on February 28, from the Panagbenga Park to the Melvin Jones Football Field.
A TikTok user posted a video claiming that performers rushed to a tent after their performance “just to get their feet off the artificial grass.”
“Some visitors even helped pour water on their feet to ease the excruciating pain, and some performers passed out. One of the delegates was even stopped during their performance so they could wear something to protect their feet,” TikTok user Benj Mendoza (@benjmendoza29) wrote.
He also claimed that the host told the participants, “Sinabihan na kayo kanina pa na mag-tsinelas.”
“I’m not sure who you are, but every year, the majority of performers and participants perform barefoot,” Mendoza wrote.
“I was not able to enjoy this year’s Panagbenga Festival Grand Street Dance Competition because I felt so bad for all the participants,” he added.
@benjmendoza29 Dear Panagbenga Organizers, I dare you all to perform barefoot for more than five minutes on this so-called aesthetic artificial plastic grass so you can personally feel how hot it is. After their performance, this group of participants rushed to the edge of the crowd tents just to get their feet off that artificial grass. Some visitors even helped pour water on their feet to ease the excruciating pain, and some performers passed out. One of the delegates was even stopped during their performance so they could wear something to protect their feet. What irritated me the most was when the host said, “Sinabihan na kayo kanina pa na mag-tsinelas.” I’m not sure who you are, but every year the majority of performers and participants perform barefoot. I was not able to enjoy this year’s Panagbenga Festival Grand Street Dance Competition because I felt so bad for all the participants. #panagbenga2026 #fyp #cityofpines ♬ original sound – Benj Mendoza
Mendoza’s post has garnered 60,400 likes, 4,537 shares and nearly 630 comments from other online users.
In the comments section, one of the performers’ coordinators claimed that the competition winner also “stopped their performance midway.”
“They requested to use their slippers hence, having a second chance to perform. It is really disheartening to see our dear dancers trample in agony,” TikTok user Claudy (@clydewas_in) commented.
A Facebook user also made a similar claim, saying performers suffered “blisters” on their feet while performing on the artificial turf, a synthetic grass surface that he said “became extremely hot under the sun.”
“The heat caused our children’s feet to burn, resulting in blisters. Some of them were restricted from moving freely, unable to give their best because they were enduring intense pain. A few even fainted and had to be hospitalised,” JA RD Doculan wrote on Sunday, March 1.
“We raise this concern not to blame, but to call the attention of the organizers. We sincerely hope that in future events, materials used [for] performance grounds are properly tested under actual weather conditions. Our dancers trained hard for months. Their safety and well-being should always be a top priority,” she added.
Daniel Feliciano of “The Cordillera Sun” also reported that some performers described the sensation of the artificial grass on their feet as “para kang nakaapak sa mainit na kaldero.”
“Barefoot performers were visibly in huge discomfort while performing because of the hot artificial turf. Many were shifting their feet, placing one foot over the other, standing on tip toes, standing on the heel of their foot, anything really to avoid the hot turf. Without a doubt, the hot turf affected their performances,” he wrote in a post.
“Once their performances were over, the dancers would rush to the sides to escape the heat. Some [prefer] to collapse on the ground just to give the soles of their feet some space. A few cried,” Feliciano added.
“Gray Scale,” the student publication of the University of Baguio, also reported that the artificial turf installed at the football field was to blame, saying it “became extremely hot under direct sunlight.”
Meanwhile, a seller of artificial turf or grass said that when exposed to direct sunlight, the material “can absorb and retain heat, causing its temperature to rise significantly.”
“In hot climates, the surface temperature of synthetic turf can reach upwards of 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This excessive heat absorption can make the turf uncomfortably hot to touch and may even lead to heat-related issues if not managed properly,” SmartTurf said on its website.
It also said the heat can potentially cause “discomfort, burns, or heat exhaustion.”
Another artificial turf seller noted that such materials “feel noticeably warmer than natural grass” because they do not “benefit from the natural moisture content and cooling effects of live vegetation.”
Meanwhile, the Baguio Flower Festival will continue its activities until March 8.
